Worksop: Youth is the Shaw way to success this season

Mark Shaw wants a squad of youngsters at Worksop Town this season. Picture: Chris Etchells

Shaw watched his young Tigers beat Sheffield FC 1-0 at home on Wednesday night with a starting line-up where the oldest player was just 24.

And he says he nas no plans to bring in any older, more experienced players before the Tigers’ first game in the Toolstation Northern Counties East League next weekend.

“I’m not going to add any experience at all, I want to bring in four or five more players before the start of the season and they will all be the same sort of young players we have here now,” he said.

“The only thing we’re going to do is try and play more football and try and create more chances because the idea of the game for me is to try and get my philosophy over to the players over the next two years and try and get that philosophy working on our terms on the pitch.”

“And if we all start working together, it will all work very well.

Shaw’s approach is typified by his latest signings, Jack Hawkins and Jono Wafula, both of whom started against Sheffield and the previous friendly against Handsworth Parramore.

“Jack is a very good player technically, he’s good on the ball, comfortable and creative with it and he’s a young lad with a lot of potential,” Shaw continued.

“Those are the sort of players were are looking for to secure the future of the club.”

“He ended last season at Rainworth but he’s a former Mansfield youth player and one of my things that I do is find out about young players that I think are going to be beneficial to us and Jack is one of those.”

“As for Jono, we actually had him down here last pre-season but there was a passport problem and so we weren’t able to sign him.”

“But that problem has now been resolved and we’ve signed him because we think he has superb athletic ability and he’s one of those players I think deserves an opportunity.”

“The 20-odd players we have here are all good lads who all just need opportunities and we want to give them that.”

“We’ve things in place to bring in more young players too and we will do that.”